New Rules Benefit Old Timers, Blacks

Addie Joss, who won 160 games, lost 97 of the Cleveland Indians 1902-10 in a major league career cut short by his death April 14, 1911 - two days past his 31st birthday - has made it into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

He was one of the players seemingly destined by the admission rules never to make it into Cooperation. So were a flock of brilliant players from the old Negro leagues. Until yesterday, when the rules were changed.

Joss had been shut out because he did not fulfill a requirement of 10 years in the majors (or the Negro leagues), but in his span he pitched a perfect game, another no-hitter, 45 shut outs and posted a 1.88 earned run average. He was let in as the Hall's board of directors, after considering recommendations of a special commettee appointed by commissioner Bowie Kuhn, opted to waive the 10-year requirement in cases of careers cut short by illness or death - and to permit further selection by the veterans committee of Negro leaguers A special committee to enshrine deserving blacks of the days before the majors were integrated had dissolved itself last February, after selecting nine players over the past few years.